Facebook shows little cooperation with Swiss law enforcement agencies
Since 2013, the Swiss criminal authorities have requested data from Facebook in more than 360 cases. Most of these cases involved terrorism. The social network has only cooperated in 110 cases.
This is what the SonntagsZeitung writes in its current issue. In most cases, the requests came from the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) - data such as IP addresses or email addresses were requested.
A Fedpol spokeswoman told the newspaper that "terrorism" is clearly at the heart of the crimes. And when the cantons, whose inquiries also go through the federal government, turn to Facebook, it is mostly about crimes against life and limb and defamation.
Facebook offers no hand, especially for offenses that are not punishable in the USA. These include the dissemination of illegal propaganda. According to Fedpol, however, so-called "emergency" requests work "very well". These are used in cases of child abduction, suicide prevention or general imminent danger. In twelve of these cases in the first half of 2017, Facebook provided the requested data in eight of them.
Most requests for help from Switzerland are turned down by Facebook. Nevertheless, cooperation has improved in recent years, says Fedpol. The Legal Affairs Committee, which wants to oblige foreign IT giants to set up a representative office in Switzerland in order to facilitate access by the authorities, does not go far enough. Their proposal, in turn, is rejected by the Federal Council - and Facebook did not comment on it to the SonntagsZeitung. (hae)
